Adam Simmonds and Antonio Carluccio outside Danesfield House where the Dine For Macmillan campaign was launched

Hilary Scott finds out about a new campaign from Macmillan Cancer Support that involves holding a dinner party for pals and raising cash. It’s that simple.

And we’ve even got some recipes to help you with your dinner party from campaign patrons Antonio Carluccio and Michelin-starred Adam Simmonds

Antonio Carluccio’s doing it by grabbing a loaf of bread, a salami, a hunk of cheese, a bottle of wine and a lot of love.

Strictly Come Dancing winner Tom Chambers is doing it by trying not to serve still-frozen peas to his guests as he once did when friends came round to eat.

And Danesfield House Michelin-starred chef Adam Simmonds will be doing it in his usual stunning style.

Doing what?

Holding a dinner party to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support.

And you can join them – not literally at their dinner tables of course.

But you can take part in the charity’s Dine for Macmillan and raise cash for this great charity by asking guests not to bring chocolates or flowers but to donate to Macmillan.

The new campaign was launched with a sumptuous dinner at Marlow’s Danesfield House where Adam Simmonds treated guests to a delicious dinner of confit of salmon with beetroot, fillet of beef with horseradish pomme puree and asparagus, then chocolate cheesecake with grapefruit sorbet and cocoa nibs.

Supporter Antonio Carluccio spoke after the dinner to encourage guests to leave a donation for the night’s meal and to urge all of us to hold a dinner party and then encourage our guests to hold their own dinner party and so the idea would blossom.

With the stark statistics showing that one in three of us will suffer from cancer at some point in out lives, you inevitably will be raising cash for support for the care of yourself, a family member or friend.

Said Antonio Carluccio: “It’s a great cause and it doesn’t matter how you do it. The simplest way could be to grab some bread, a salami, some wine and cheese and invite some friends to join you.

“Sharing food is an act of love and if you can give something back at the same time it’s fantastic.”

Antonio says he is lucky that cancer has not affected his immediate family but is aware of the frightening figures.

“I am happy to publicise this even though I am involved in a lot of charities.

“I’d tell your readers to be generous.”

Adam Simmonds, applause still ringing in his ears as a thank you for his stunning food, says he is thinking of doing a meal with one of the suppliers from the charity evening.

When Macmillan approached him to host the evening he said yes right away.

Since he won his Michelin star last year his restaurant at Dansefield has seen bookings soar and many eminent guests, but he says: “I didn’t do it to look good, I did it because cancer is indiscriminate. It doesn’t matter who you are you can be struck by it.”

“And this is a brilliant concept because simply everyone can do it.”

His tips for a successful dinner party are to “keep it simple”.

He said: “Don’t get stressed by it, just cook some good food and get your friends round then tell them to so the same.”

Meanwhile guests Tom Chambers of Holby City and winner of Strictly Come Dancing with Camilla Dallerup in 2008 and his wife Clare were delighted to be backing Dine with Macmillan.

The couple, whose first baby was due last week, will be having a dinner party – but after the baby arrives.

Said Tom: “They describe the first three months when you have a baby as ‘In the Cave’ ie you’re so busy with the baby you lock yourselves away.

“But we’ll do it when the baby’s a little older and we’re more used to it.”

Will he cook?

Said Clare: “I don’t think so! I’m the cook. We had a dinner party once and Tom served them still-frozen peas!”

“Yes I’m a spontaneous cook!” laughed Tom.

The couple got involved with the launch event because they’ve recently moved to Marlow and wanted to support something in their community. Said Tom: “Clare’s mum has a coffee morning for Macmillan every year and my own mum had breast cancer 15 years ago. She’s here thanks to Macmillan and the work they do.

“Even just on a counselling level Macmillan are fantastic. Cancer can be so lonely. When you have cancer and wake in the middle of the night I imagine it must be awful.

“If there’s someone you can talk to about it then that’s a great thing.”

Macmillan says there’s a three-point plan if you want to get involved. First register on the website and you’ll be sent a Dine for Macmillan pack crammed full of invites, ideas and other fun things. Two, start planning your foodie fundraiser. It could be a simple supper or a full-on feast. And three, invite your guests round and ask them to make a donation to Macmillan for your gorgeous grub.

And to get you started here’s some recipes from Antonio and Adam you could try.

Here are some of Antionio’s recipes for your dinner party. They’re delicious and none are hard to do. We’ve included the Italian names for them so you can impress your guests!

Trim and peel the asparagus if necessary. Chop the stalks into chunks, but cut off and preserve the tender tips.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the onion, and leave to soften for a few minutes. Pour in the water, bring to the boil, then add the asparagus stalks and the potato cubes. Simmer until the potato is tender, about 15 minutes, then season with salt and pepper. Cook the asparagus tips separately until al dente in a little salted water.

Put the asparagus and potato mixture into a blender and reduce to creamy consistency. Add the Parmesan, and check the seasoning. Serve the soup hot, with the asparagus tips divided between the individual serving plates.

Cook the cauliflower florets in boiling salted water until soft, about 15-20 minutes. (A little tip to avoid the strong cauliflower smell is to add a drop of vinegar to the cooking water.) Drain well, and leave to cool.

Using your hands, crumble the cooked and cooled cauliflower into walnut-sized pieces and place in a bowl. In another bowl, mix the egg, flour, cheese, garlic, nutmeg and some salt and pepper.

Pour this into the cauliflower bowl, and mix well – but gently. Pour enough oil into your frying pan to cover the base generously and heat gently, taking care the oil doesn't get too hot.

Using a tablespoon, put spoonfuls of the mixture into the hot oil, and shallow-fry until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side. Drain on kitchen paper serve warm or cold.

To make it more special...

If serving the fritters by themselves, you might consider accompanying them with a little spicy dipping sauce. In a blender, combine 4 tomatoes with a little chilli, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar and 1 tbsp very finely chopped flat-leaf parsley. If you dare (and at your peril!), you could also add a very finely chopped garlic clove

Mango with Lime Syrup (Mango con Scoroppo di Limo)

An extremely simple recipe with lots of fresh flavour. The best mango to use here would be the Alfonso variety from India, but this recipe will be a success whatever type you use.

Serves 4

2 large ripe mangoes 4 small sprigs mint

Lime Syrup

3 limes 100g caster sugar

To peel the mangoes, cut close to the large narrow stone along the length of the fruit on either side. You will have two rounded bits, and the stone. Cut the peel off the rounded bits and place the four pieces on a large plates.

To prepare the syrup, first cut the rind off the limes, leaving behind any pith. Slice this rind into thin strips.

Squeeze the juice from the limes into a small pan and add the sugar. Simmer until the sugar has melted, then boil to reduce this liquid by half. Add the strips of rind and continue to simmer for a few minutes until caramelised. Leave cool.

Pour the cooled lime syrup over the mango halves and decorate with the mint sprigs.

Chicken Liver Pâté (Pâté di Fegatini di Pollo)

This recipe originally comes from Tuscany, but I have varied it a little so that it more closely resembles the much talked-about pâté de foie gras of goose or duck.

Line a suitably sized terrine dish, or 4-6 individual pots such as ramekins. with greaseproof paper or clingfilm.

Using a paring knife, clean the livers by cutting away any green patches and membrane, removing the fibres around the centre of each. Wash and dry well, then roughly chop.

Fry the livers in the oil on a medium heat with the sage, parsley, garlic, and some salt and pepper for about 10 minutes, turning them, until still pink in the middle. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Blend the mixture in the food processor, adding the brandy and the sherry to the machine while operating, 3-4 minutes only, until you have a rough paste. Return the paste to the pan, add the butter and melt over a low heat until the liver mixture becomes very homogenised, a couple of minutes.

Pour the pâté into the terrine or individual ramekins, and smooth on top. Allow to rest and cool in the fridge for a couple of hours, until solid. Eat spread on crostini (pieces of toasted bread).

Leftovers

A little pâté added to meaty sauces or to meat or vegetable stuffings gives a wonderful flavour.

Wash and put the pears upright in a suitably sized ovenproof container. You want them to fit snugly, without too much space between them.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes. Remove the pears from the oven and pour over the wine.

Sprinkle over the lemon rind and most of the sugar, reserving a small amount to spoon on top of the pears. Bake for another 20 minutes, by which time the wine will have reduced and thickened in consistency.

Put the pears in a glass bowl, cover with the red wine syrup and chill.

Divide between 6 plates, and serve with the syrup and some whipped double cream, if desired.

Risotto with Mushrooms (Risotto con Funghi)

Perhaps along with risotto with truffles, risotto with ceps is the best-known of Italian rice dishes. Italians eat this only in season when the porcino (Boletus edulis or cep) is around, but the following recipe I have devised will enable you to enjoy a mushroom risotto throughout the year.

Should you manage to find some fresh porcini, however. I urge you to try them, the taste is sensational!

Heat the olive oil or butter in a large pan over a low heat, add the onion and fry until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the button mushrooms and the porcini, and cook for 5 minutes, until soft and lightly browned.

Add the rice and stir for a minute or two, then add one or two ladles of boiling stock. Stir continuously over the heat, adding stock a ladleful at a time as each addition is absorbed. After 18-20 minutes, check for the required al dente texture – the rice should be tender, but with a firm bite in the centre, and the risotto should be moist .

Remove the pan from the heat, add the Parmesan and butter and stir in well. Season to taste, and serve on warm plates. Buon appetito.